Again your odds are less than 1%… There is no arguing being recognized as a National Merit Scholar can unlock additional merit awards at certain colleges and universities, yet for 1.5+ million students, is it really worth your time and effort?

Rule of thumb. For every 100 national scholarships you identify, you might qualify for 10. If you apply, you will be lucky to receive one.

For the vast majority of students, there is very little ROI versus the time and effort required to compete for national scholarships.

Local? Getting warmer…

Roughly 8-10% of students will win a locally sourced scholarship – those available to students at your school or in your district (local chamber of commerce, businesses, organizations, endowed exclusively at your school, etc.).

Apply for these scholarships. Your odds of winning are greater and even though most fall in the $500 to $1,000 range many students are able to cobble together $2,000 – $2,500 towards the cost of college. Less $$ out of your pocket is never a bad thing.

The #1 source of scholarship money? Drum roll.

The colleges themselves!

Stop chasing the wrong scholarships. There is money to be saved by strategically identifying good fit schools where yourcredentials can garner a significant discount on tuition, often greater than 50%.

Maybe Simpson College is a good fit. Advertised tuition for Fall 2019 = $39,910.

I hope you didn’t read the Sticker Price for Simpson and immediately say, “too expensive”.

Based on the chart below, your tuition bill may be as little as $12,190 – an approximate 70% tuition discount.

I help you identify fit good schools to match your unique academic, social and financial needs.Below is a small sample of scholarship monies I helped students find as they begin their Fall 2019 college journeys: